has been courting hispanics there, but he also said that mitt romney's debate was more style over substance, that debate really fueling the polls and we'll see if it's affected by the vice presidential debate this week. vice president biden, paul ryan debate on thursday. both of them out of the public spotlight as they continue to study for that. ryan is in florida. vice president biden is in delaware. he says he is focusing on ryan's speeches and on his budget. lynn? >>> tracie pots for us in washington. tracie, thank you. >>> a nashville hospital is reporting another death from the meningitis outbreak. that's according to the associated press. if confirmed, it would be the fifth deadly case in tennessee, the ninth nationally. at least 105 people in nine states from minnesota to florida have been affected. the cdc now believes 13,000 people in 23 states may have received steroid injections tied to this outbreak. while many are believed not to be at risk, those who got the shot between late june and september are being urged to get checked. >>> for the very first time we are heari

thought mitt romney showed great poise during the debate. he just looked overall more polished than obama did. i thought the moderating was great. people have to get their views across. i believe that obama during the debate concluded even more to me that he is not what we need over the next four years. he has talked about the same things for the past year during the campaign, which is providing more safety nets for lower income people, putting in more government regulations on small businesses and big businesses, he has not taken china seriously, taking american jobs and being a money manipulator. he has added so much to the national debt to that he promised to reduce. i know it is not all of his fault and the congress is to blame, too, but he is the guy that has to take charge and get people realizing we are on a path to destruction. i think we need a new president in 2012. >> will also take some tweets. karl rove says -- next is a viewer watching us from oklahoma who is a democrat. this is gary. >> thank you. i thought the president held up on mr. romney. mr. romney comes out and

battleground colorado. can a solid performance at the denver debate help mitt romney change the perceptions and boost his poll numbers? >>> and the expectations game isn't slowing down one bit. both sides say the other side was one of the most gifted debate performers in the history of mankind. so if they're both right, then this should be a heck of a night on wednesday, shouldn't they? lincoln douglas, watch out. >>> plus at the brink, a special nbc news report from all across the middle east, afghanistan, iran, syria, as multiple situations grow more dangerous da, what challenges face this president and whoever takes office in january? >>> good morning from washington. it's monday, october 1st, 2012. this is the daily rundown. i'm chuck todd. one more rundown. let's get to the rundown. mitt romney need as great october to change the course of this campaign. for your him it had to begin wednesday night in denver. romney had just a rough three weeks. he's had a rough three months. you could argue that romney hasn't, quote, won a month in this campaign since may or june. a traili

.../ that... he slapped hii wiff.... in... a dispute... ooer... the presidential... debate. debate. huuley says: "frommwwaa understand...you ot into an argummnt with your better half about the obama/romney debates.."swartz says we went &pout to eat and she got into a fight with er other. and she drank too much...whiih her mother does.hurley says: "don't talkkpolltics sir...yoo really shouldn't." went on ...to tell the judge.../ that... his... wife said... she disliked him.../ because... of his choice... for president...///. as.... the juuge... wasnt pllasedd.../ he... ordered swartz... to stay... 500 feet away... &p from his wife.../ until thhngs... settle down. 3 3 3 aanice warm day today... but some changes on the way this weekend. weekend. lett check in with meteorologgst emily ggrcey. 3 the oriiles will play at home on sunday if they can win tonight...a preview of the birdssand ranners...next innsports unlimited... addm jones put it best oo twitter ♪ [ male announcer ] start with nothing. build a ground-breaking car. good. now build a time machine. go here. find someone who can build a futuristic dashboard display. bring future guy back. watch him build a tft display like nothing you've e

tell you exactly what mitt romney is going to say in wednesday's presidential debate, and i'm going to tell you how you back home can rebut his claims. how do i know what he is going to say? because a talking point's memo from the campaign to romney's surrogates and allies it was leaked today. i know from experience that a memo coming like this just two days before a debate it is intended to prepare the surrogates and allies to parrot really the candidate to repeat and reinforce his position on every issue. so you are ready to hear it and it makes his ability to defend at the debate that much so that's what this memo is all about. wednesday's debate is going to focus on three of the most contentious issues of the campaign. the focus will be on the role of government, the economy and health care. mitt romney has a history of shall we sa waffling a little bit on these important issues we even have a collection of mitt's flip flops here inside the war room but this suggests where his position is actually going to be on wednesday night. first off, the role of government as a subject, and t

of 2008. while governor romney has had nearly two dozen debates during that gop primary. the obama campaign says the president's strategy is focused on shorter, crisper answers. the romney strategy, as reported in "the new york times" has the governor memorizing a series of zingers to try to hit the president with. let's bring in our "news nation" political panel for this monday. democratic strategist chris, national radio host michael, and also an msnbc contributor, and villa skype as you can tell from our shot there, steve, conservative radio show host. you have the visual disadvantage because you're skype. i'll let you start off first here. let me play what paul ryan, completely opposite of what chris christie said this sunday. his assessment of the debates. let's play ryan, please. >> i don't think one event is going to make or break this campaign. look, president obama's a very -- he's a very gifted speaker. this is mitt's first time on this kind of a stage. >> it's no secret, steve, you are conservative republican. you are not a fan of mitt romney. is this a make or break mom

sentenced this morning. >>> debate bound, mitt romney erasing president obama's lead. this is a new poll. a major shift on women voters as well. an an injection of enthusiasm. we go inside the numbers with four weeks left. >>> and biggest jump ever. one man, literally falling from the edge of outer space, 23 miles straight down on purpose. why? and will he make it? >>hat is the question. why? what is the craziest thing you've ever done. >> it's not jumping 23 miles straight down from outer space. that's a high bar. >> i can't wait to talk to him and find out the why. >> it's nuts. good morning, thank you for joining us on "early start," i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. >>> jerry sandusky proclaims his innocence. in four wurhours, the former pe state football coach will be in court to find out his punishment. he is clearly defiant. >> they can take away my life, they can make me out as a monster, they could treat me as a monster but they can't take away my heart. in my heart, i know i did not do these alleged, disgusting acts. >> he takes no personal responsibility. he lays t

romney are both getting ready for their first face to face presidential debate in denver wednesday night. romney is holding a rally in the mile-high city today, while the president gears up in nevada. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. we get an interesting perspective on this from john mccain, he's debated both the president and mitt romney. he says we will see two very strong well-prepared debaters and he predicts few surprises. the president's behind closed doors in nevada for the next two days preparing to face mitt romney in denver wednesday. >> he's a good debater. i'm just okay. but what i'm most concerned about is having a serious discussion about what we need to do to keep the country growing. >> reporter: both sides are downplaying expectations. a senior aide to the president says romney will be prepared, disciplined and aggressive. romney's debate partner calls the president a tough debater. >> barack obama is going to be formidable, and i think it will be a good debate, but i certainly would not underestimat

. romney's strong debate performance last week may be resonating with voters. take a look at this. this is the latest pew poll of likely voters. governor romney now holding a four-point lead over the president. the governor trailed the president by eight points in the previous poll. and among likely women voters governor romney has closed a huge defender -- gender gap with the president. both candidates even at 47%. compare that to the same poll taken in mid-september before the debate. take a look at that gap. governor romney trailing the president by9 points. kimberly strassel, a columnist for "the wall street journal" she just wrote about the woman vote in fact from the gop. do you buy this type of move, this type of closing of the gender gap in such a short time? >> this is a remarkable poll. entire switch. not just among women voters but that 12-point swing you saw among all likely voters. that has to be one of the biggest post-debate poll flips you've seen ever. it is huge. however what we are seeing if you look out you're beginning to see polls come out in battleground stat

first presidential debate. romney looking to keep his momentum from what many call a decisive win in round one. peter doocy is live from washington with more. >> good morning heather. mitt romney's boast debate strategy is clearly to keep pressure on the president. he went into further detail about specifically why another hourors of obama in his opinion would damage the already weak' con me further. >> what i find so offensive about his packs plan is by raising taxes on small business he will kill i don't knows. what america needs is more jobs more take home pay. that's the focus of my campaign. i know what the president has been campaigning on and saying about me is different than what i actually am what i believe. that's where the difference came. what the president has been saying and reality are pretty far apart. >> before that hannity interview aired mr. romney running mate paul ryan and trace atkins all rallied where he trailed by 3 and a half points in the real clear politics average of polls. the campaign says 10,000 people showed up to see the gop nominee for the first time

debate about it. less than one month to go and mitt romney is making up some serious ground against the president. this is "special report." >> bret: good evening. i'm bret baier. we are 29 days away from the presidential election. one major poll says the two candidates are dead even. another has mitt romney up by four. pew research has the governor with a 49 to 45 advantage over the president. among likely voters. romney trailed by eight points earlier in month in that poll. we look at the poll numbers and all the important electoral college count in just a few moments. but first, governor romney says the president's global vision puts american national security at risk. chief political correspondent carl cameron has specifics. >> at the virginia military institute in measured tone, mitt romney wants his toughest critique yet of obama foreign policy. >> america security and cause of freedom cannot afford four more years like the last four years. >> romney said hope is not a strategy. administration policy weakened the u.s. and its allies while emboldening the enemies. >> with iran

romney taking the lead in the new pew poll, the first gallup daily tracking poll since that debate shows romney fought his way back to tie nationally knotted up at 47%. bounce for romney since before the debate when he was trailing in the same poll by 5 points. groping for answers about why the president stumbled almost a full week later his top advisors are still pushing the narrative that romney lied his way to victory. >> look, george, governor romney had a masterful, theatrical performance this past week. the underpinning and foundation of the performance were fundamentally dishonest. >> big bird meets the big lies. now governor romney will be challenged for the remain 30 days to explain how it is he pays for $5 trillion in cut and tax cut for millionaire and billionaires. >> the obama camp has been using a study by princeton economist harvey rosen to back up that romney's plan is paid for by tax cut on middle class but there was pushback from rosen saying he was misrepresented, saying increase in the tax burden on lower and middle income individuals is not required in order to

tablee topics... in.. last night's debate.../both... pressdent ooama's... and... governor romney's... tax plans... were... talked about... in depth. depth. pauu gessler talked to economists today to break down what it means for you.paul-- the major difference right off the battis the ush- era tax cuts on households makkng more than 250 thousand dollars.mitt permanent.baaack obama would llt ttem expire. rooneyycalls for an across- the- board cut in marginnl tax rate to 25 percent...and eliminating the estate tax, as wwll as other taxes on capittl gains of 200 thousand dollars or less. what he calls the 'buffee a minimum 30 percent tax rates. university of balttmooe professor teven isberg says he wanted to hearrmore on how specifically governno romnnyy would raise neeeed revenues. steven isberg, university of baltimore: 9.47 "at the enn of the day, ttere's not a whole lot of differencessbetween one and another."steven isberg, university of baltimore: 10.22 "i'd really like to see the calculation as to how both of those gentlemen are getting to that number, and i haven't seen thattyet

blitzer and "the situation room." >>> happening now, just two days before the first obama/romney debate and our new cnn national poll shows the president's lost, lost his post-convention bounce. but there's a different story in the battleground states. >>> mitt romney could make a huge impact on the supreme court. how he could change the direction of the court for decades. >>> they make $10 a day to put their lives on the line. but they could lose their job ifs they don't lose some weight. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> we're now just 36 days from the presidential election and nationally our brand-new cnn/orc poll of likely voters shows the race between president obama and governor romney remaining up for grabs. the president leads 50% to 47%. but his three-point margin is within the poll's sampling error. our chief national correspondent john king is in denver getting ready for the debate over there. that's the site of the debate. john, take us into these numbers. what are you seeing? >> reporter: well, wolf, i can tell you this, talking to senior officials in the ro

voters in california, president obama moves to ohio today claiming romney's debate performance was more style than substance. >> what was being presented wasn't leadership. that's salesmanship. governor romney's plan is to let wall street run wild again but he's going to bring the hammer down on sesame street. >> the president has no new ideas. >> both vice-presidential candidates are practicing for thursday's debate. paul ryan is in florida after studying after four days in a woodsy virginia camp. vice president biden is at home in delaware focusing on ryan's speeches and his budget. >>> national hospital is reporting yet another death from the meningitis outbreak. if confirmed, it would be the fifth deadly case in tennessee. that is the ninth nationally. at least 105 people in nine states from minnesota to florida have been affected. the cdc now believes 13,000 people in 23 states may have received the steroid injection that's are tied to the outbreak. and while many are believed not to be at risk, those who got the shot between late june and september are being urged to get checked.

time they have faced off. tonight we saw the president and romney debate. many of the issue that could be deciding factors in the election. both candidates were aggressive as they talked act the economy, health care and the role of the government. karen travers breaks down the argument. >> reporter: the president and romney finally went head to head. right out of the gate the candidates boiled down their economic arguments. >> governor romney, has a perspective that says if we cut taxes, go toward the wealthy and roll back regulation that we will be better off. i have a different view. >> the president has a view similar to the one he had when he ran four years ago. if you will trickle down government would work. that's not the right answer former. >> reporter: his comments about the 47% have taken a toll on his campaign. even before that leaked video show that americans think he favors the wealthy. tonight he wanted to try to change that perspective. >> the people who are having the hard time right now are middle income americans. under the president's policies they have been buried.

>> while romney is trying to capitalize on his debate performance, president obama meanwhile on the defensive over his. advisers promise a change before the second debate next week. with just 32 days now till the big vote, every move is critical. as abc's jake tapper reports. >> reporter: before a crowd of 12,000 in denver, the president tried to turn his opponent's polished debate performance into proof of his phoniness. >> when i got on to the stage, i met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be mitt romney. but the real mitt romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $5 trillion in tax cuts that favor the wealthy. >> reporter: in the audience many of the president's supporters expressed bewilderment at his performance. >> i felt like he should have been more aggressive. >> i didn't understand his strategy and thought, you know, i wondered what was going on. >> reporter: sources tell abc news, the president's strategy was a calculated decision not to risk appearing unpresidential by attacking romney on say that video insulting 47% of the country as

debate catapulted big bird to the front of the presidential campaign. mitt romney says he'll cut funding to reduce the deficit. now the obama camp has released a new tongue-in-cheek ad casting an unlikely star as a criminal master mine. will it be effective? take a look for yourself and decide. >> i'm barack obama and i approve this message. >> bernie madoff, dennis keselowski, criminals, gluttons of greed and the evil genius who towered over them. one man has the guts to speak his name. >> big bird. >> big bird. >> it's me, big bird. >> big, yellow, a menace to our economy. mitt romney knows it's not wall street you have to worry about, it's sesame street. >> i'm going to stop the subsidy to pbs. >> mitt romney taking on our enemies no matter where they nest. >> this comes as the 2012 presidential election is just four weeks away, and now new polls show the race between president obama and republican rival mitt romney is closer than ever. nbc's tracie potts has more from washington. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. they're raising a lot of money, too. which is why

>> no question about it. mitt romney is the clear winner of last night's debate, even i'm co conceding the obama loss. we all agree on this. the real question on moving forward is weather romney's win will change the race. we've seen mondale outperform president raleigh in 1984 and with john kerry defeated bush. neither kerry or mondale translated that into an election night win, although steve kornacki likes to think about a potential mondale president history. as the dust settles, they're back on the trail today. obama is en route to a rally in wisconsin, but earlier today in denver supporters saw the obama we hoped to see last night. >> when i got onto the stage, i met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be mitt romney. he said that he doesn't even know that there's such laws that encourage outsourcing, never heard of them. he said if it's true, he must need a new accountant. we know for sure it was not the real mitt romney, because he seems to be doing just fine with his current accountant. thank goodness somebody is finally getting tough on big bird. it's about time

think debates don't have an impact, or do you think tonight actually could if mitt romney comes out -- >> i think it will have some impact. >> some impact, but i actually think that's really when the american people, for the first time, see the two candidates and really start to make their minds up. what do you think? >> you know, first of all, i think there's a consensus view that no matter what polls we're looking at today, it's going to be a jump-ball election three or four weeks from now. it's going to be within two or three points. it's that close out in the country. i think tonight's debate, though, matters a great -- >> let me stop you there, mike. so you do think it's still going to be a jump ball because obviously mitt romney's had a horrific september. his own people say, man, what a horrible month. but we still have a long way to go here. you think it's still going to be a jump ball? >> yes, i do. i do. because of two elements that polls can't really get to, the level of anxiety in this country about daily life and about the immediate future of our economy, and the level

the first debate. romney is totally debate fit in my opinion. he is in fighting shach after demolishing ten opponents in 20 debates. mr. obama on the other hand, he's a bit doughy, i don't think he's in shape for this. and by the way, just minutes ago, north korea accused the united states of plotting to attack it as a steppingstone to dominate asia and has used the word nuclear war. well, how does president obama plan on handling these nut jobs? let me tell you that wednesday's debate, romney is going to broaden his message to include foreign policy. >>> plus we have a surprise increase in the ism manufacturing report. >>> plus again bernanke defends his debt plan. he's enabling the obama treasury to sell trillions of dollars in deficits. >>> hundreds of mexicans are involved in the fast and furious. this is a terrible story, hundreds of mexicans may be involved. should attorney general holder be fired immediately over this new information? >>> the ism signals no recession, that's good. but is the obama-bernanke qe stimulus plan going to bail out the president in this elect

, enduring the debate rather than fight. >> it looked like romney wanted to be there, president obama didn't want to be there. >> reporter: some blamed denver's high elevation for his performance. >> when you go to 5,000 feet, and you have a few hours to adjust. >> that's interesting. >> i don't know. >> the president spent much time looking down at his podium take notes. and squandered easy opportunities to go after romney. such as this moment. >> i like pbs. i like big bird. i like you too. but i am not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from chon ina to p for it. a wide opening. the president took more than 14 hours to come up with a come? back. >> thank goodness, somebody is finally getting tough on big bird. it is about time. >> reporter: many top democrats suggest one of the problems may be one common to incumbents, the president has lived in a bubble, rarely challenged. the obama campaign acknowledged they will conduct a reassessment before the next debate. jake tapper, abc news, traveling with the president in madison, wisconsin. >> such a fascinating po

prepare for their first debate. both sides trying to lower expectations. >> governor romney, he's a good debater. i'm just okay. >> president obama is a very -- he's a very gifted speaker. the man's been on the national stage for many years. he's an experienced debater. he's done these kinds of debates before. this is mitt's first time on this kind of a stage. >> flashpoint libya, the white house on the defensive after reports of both security and intelligence nurse in benghazi before that terror attack. >> standing up, sitting down. >> which ever one you like. >> there you go. >> do whatever they tell us. >> the white house line is you heard the president say, osama bin laden is dead, al qaeda is done, everything is fine in the middle east. this, obviously, contradicts -- ther series of events contradicts that campaign slogan. so, the fact is, that this was clearly an act of terror committed by people who were pretty well trained jihadists. >> more carnage in afghanistan. the taliban take responsibility for a suicide attack that killed 14 today including three americans. we are dep

romney in the middle section of the debate over his budget, medicare and tax plans. other than that, i don't think people would come away with much of an idea of what president obama would give them if they give him another four years. >> romney, they say, will ultimately rise in the polls because of his debate perfo performance. for that small number of voters that haven't made up their minds, has this helped romney? >> very difficult past few weeks, if last night went well for the president you kind of have a hardening of the belief that the race is virtually sealed, out of reach. the debate has ended that discussion and it's going to remind us, move into the conversation, a reminder that the president faces in this debate. mitt romney did had himself some good with those undecided voters and just as importantly energized the he republican base. there's a sense of retooling in the obama campaign, look, incoming presidents often have problems in their first debate. people don't talk to you like that in the oval office. no question the president needs a reset. >> ron brownstein, tha

many have been saying, that governor romney had a good debate and the president is going to be under pressure to do better next time. the president tried to refrain the debate saying the mitt romney he saw last night had little resemblance to what the president said romney's policies are. governor romney himself, meanwhile s meeting with supporters in colorado. romney said the debate gave him a chance to frame the campaign for the country for what their choice would be. >> last night, i thought it was a great opportunity for the american people to see two different visions for the country. it was helpful to describe the vigs. i saw the president's vision as trickledown government. >> governor romney may dance around his position but, if you want to be president, you owe the american people the truth so he's the truth: governor romney can not pay for his $5 trillion tax plan without blowing up the deficit or sticking it to the middle class. >> and the latest poll packs up that romney won the debate and 22% said the president came out on top. >> tom fitzgerald tonight in virginia's sen

night for governor romney. some have suggested it was a make or break debate for him. he certainly showed up to fight. and voters agree he got the win in a cnn or flash poll, 67% of the voters said he won the debate. 25% saying president obama won. how did he do it? he challenged the president, never backed down even as the president appeared not to want to push back until the second half of the debate. take a listen. >> i just don't know how the president could have come into office, facing 23 million people out of work, rising unemployment, an economic crisis at the kitchen table and spend his energy and passion for two years for fighting for obamacare instead of fighting for jobs for the american people. it has killed jobs. >> for 18 months, he has been running on this tax plan. and now, five weeks before the election, he is saying his big, bold idea is never mind. >> reporter: now, carol, remember, there are two more preside presidential debates. next week we also have the vice presidential debate. it will be interesting to find out what kind of adjustments team obama will be m

or medicare. >> reporter: energetic debate in denver between mitt romney and president obama. according to a nationwide poll, 2/3 of the people who watched the first debate think that the republic con romney won the show down with the democratic presidential. vice presidential candidates set to square off next week in kentucky. >> let's turn our attention to weather and forecast with the forecast. >> good morning. that fog is certainly back but the good news is we aren't seeing issues with visibility. we are contending with the fog bank and will see cloudy conditions into the afternoon for some spots. satellite and radar however -- 60 degrees, maybe 61 in redwood city and heyward. other than that contending with upper 50s. mid 50s for daily system. futurecast shows where temperatures will go by lunchtime. check out 12:00 pm. all the green on your screen in north bay for places like heyward, we are only talking 60s, could see 70s for valley and places like san jose. into the afternoon highs, again keeping the green indicating 60s. however the majority of us will see 70. the or

the president? >> the president will come into the debates prepared. mitt romney has been preparing for the debates earlier than any candidate we could find on record since july. it took the week of the convention to prepare for the debates. according to "the new york times," he spent eight days preparing for this debate. we expect him to come in ready. he is preparing a bunch of zingers for the debate. we don't think that's how american people will score this. if you want to see zincers, tune into dav letterman or seth myers. they want to see a plan to restore economic security for the middle class. that is what the president will accomplish tomorrow night and outline that plan for the american people. >> there is this headline in politico today about how the president needs to avoid quotes that dog him, that washington is broken. one-term proposition. is the debate about avoiding those land mines for the president? keeping the campaign narrative status quo? moving forward, not losing his mper and remaining calm with his substance and not the style? >> i think we see the debates li

. what did everyone think about how the candidates did? post debate polls believe mitt romney did better than president obama. a cnn orc poll shows 67% of registered voters chose mr. romney as the winner. 25% picked mr. obama. uncommitted voters 46% identified romney as the winner, 22% barack obama. they brought up countless statistics and figures of cuts and increases. andrea mitchell looked into the truth. >> let me repeat what i said. i'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut. my plan is not to add to the deficit. >> romney proposed making the bush tax cuts permanent for all levels. he would repeal the alternative minimum tax and the estate tax. the snon-partisan tax said it would cost $4.8 trillion over ten years. romney said his plan would be paid for. to pay for the cuts, he would have to close loopholes in the tax codes and get red of deductions and credits. he hasn't said which he'd get rid of, saying he would work with congress. president obama said his plan would cut the deficit by $4 trillion. >> we all know we have to do more. so, i put forward a specific $4 trillion deficit

over the a day for the presidential debate. both president obama and mitt romney getting ready for their first face-off tomorrow night in colorado. doing the hefty lifting on the number two on the ticket and the candidates' wives. mitt romney is in denver where last night he tried to put the kibosh on predebate winning. >> people want to know who is going to win, who will make the biggest difference and scoring of winning and losing. in my view it's not so much winning and losing or even the people themselves, the president and myself, it's about something bigger than that. these debates are an opportunity for each of us to describe the pathway forward for america that we would choose. >> his rival president obama who is in day number three of debate camp in nevada dropped by one of his own campaign headquarters. >> it was very nice, you know. although, basically, they are keeping me indoors all the time. it's a drag. they are making me do my homework. >> despite the best efforts, the drum beat is building. it's getting louder and louder with great debate expectations on both sides

wives. both michelle obama and ann romney are talking about their role in the debates. first lady says she mostly offers positive reinforcement but does get nervous. >> i get so nervous at these debates and, you know, i'm like one of those parents watching their kid on the balance beam. you're just standing there, just trying not to, you know, have any expression at all. >> ann romney says she comforts her husband during the debates and he looks for her in the audience. she talked up one of mitt's traditions, too. >> the first thing he does when he gets on stage -- there are a few first things he does. he takes off his watch and put it is on the podium. but then he writes dad on a piece of paper. >> says her husband respects had his father and wants to make him proud. tonight's debate begins at 7:00 pm eastern. >>> our affiliate knov says flight 1862 left for dallas yesterday but had to return because of landing gear problems. passengers say people were crying when the flight crew told passengers to prepare for an emergency landing. >> they said the landing gear -- okay, the wheel

can't imagine that romney will bring this up overtly but could he subtly use this in the debate? >> reporter: i don't know. i honestly don't think he's going to go there himself. this is the kind of thing that happens by outside groups or outside activists and the reality is, this is an intensely racially polarized country. barack obama will probably win somewhere around the votes of 80% of all minority voters, growing share of the electorate, but only 40% of white voter. it will be a real challenge after this election to try to bring the country together to govern. he was the first candidate ever to lose white business double digits and win. there is a racial element that is in the backdrop here. not necessarily racism, but very different views about the role of government and very different views about the parties. if it moves things at the margin, could it matter? sure. the last slice of voter also decide this they are forward looking at this point. and 2007 is a long way to reach back when you're dealing with 8% unemployment. >> ron brownstein, thank you so much. >>> the deb

, okay, mitt romney won the debate on -- on style, but it didn't change their mind about the election, and i think voters are really looking for answers, like these jobs reports i think are -- are significant, and that's why the republicans are doing everything they can to discredit them because what we're saying -- what we're seeing is that we're moving in the right direction. we found ourselves in a hole and are moving in the right direction and president obama has been pretty steady eddie about that, and that's what voters are going to respond to. >> so you think then that the jobs report is enough to cancel out obama's debate performance, or will there be continued damage? >> i don't think there's any comparison. the jobs reports are about real people and real lives and where the economy is going. the debate was, as i said, just sort of important theater, and -- but if i -- i actually watched the debate again yesterday just to try to get it. president obama didn't do so badly. he was much quieter. he was more thoughtful. he got a lot of facts out. it was just very wonky. but when

," mitt romney needs a game changer. is the first presidential debate it? >>> his back now against the wall, romney is behind in all of our background polls. the candidate presses for a rebound. >> we do not want four more years of where we've been. i represent a different path. >>> president obama meantime tries to seize the moment as early voting begins around the country, offering a closing argument. >> when i took office, we were losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month and were mired in a rut. today i believe that as a nation we are moving forward again. >> this morning, the state of the race. a debate preview, and a look at the issues that will sway undecided voters. with us, republican governor of new jersey, the keynoter at the gop convention, chris christie. and for the obama campaign, the architect of his 2008 run, now white house senior adviser david plouffe. finally, insights and analysis from our political roundtable. joining us, conservative activist and founder of the faith and freedom coalition ralph reed. former democratic governor of pennsylvania ed rendell. anchor of bbc's